Toronto evened the series with Brooklyn, 1-1, on Tuesday night, closing out the fourth quarter with a 36-point effort to grab the win at the Air Canada Centre, 100-95.
NBA playoffs 2014, Nets vs. Raptors final score: Toronto edges New Jersey 100-95 to level series, 1-1
Toronto leveled the series, 1-1, as the two teams head back to Brooklyn on Friday.
John E. Sokolowski-USA TODAY Sports
Neither Toronto nor Brooklyn could make a dent in the other through four quarters. Toronto would take a six-point lead going into the half, but Brooklyn out-scored the Raptors by eight in the third quarter and launched themselves back into contention.
DeMar DeRozan, despite his game-high 30 points, was limited to an inefficient shooting night due to the Nets' great defense. Brooklyn did a particularly good job of shutting down Toronto from beyond the arc, with the Raptors shooting just 2-of-16. It wasn't enough to limit Greivis Vasquez, who provided 11 points off the bench in a stretch of exciting play.
The game came down to the final minute, with Paul Pierce getting a look at two three-pointers that clanged off the rim with less than 30 seconds left. Toronto closed on free throws and tied the series, 1-1.
DeRozan finished with 30 points on 9-of-21 shooting, adding three rebounds and two assists. Jonas Valanciunas recorded a double-double of 15 points and 14 rebounds. Amir Johnson poured in 16 points on an efficient 8-of-10 shooting, grabbing nine rebounds, two blocks and an assist in the process.
For Brooklyn, it was Joe Johnson who led the way with 18 points on 7-of-13 shooting, adding three rebounds and two assists. Paul Pierce was limited to just seven points on 2-of-12 shooting, and no Nets player recorded double-digit rebounds.
Game 3 is on Friday, Apr. 25 at 7 p.m. ET in Brooklyn and will air on ESPN 2. The series is tied, 1-1.
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